Olivier van Breugel / Simone Mudde

“Mono Men – Guardians of Time” is a series of monumental videos about endlessness, boredom and dedication. Security guards at construction sites, they are everywhere in Tokyo. Come rain or shine, they are always there. Their perseverance is as absurd as it is admirable. The age of teinen, the Japanese word for retirement, is 62. However, retiring in Japan does not mean the same thing as in Europe. Teinen marks the end of ‘lifetime employment’ but not a complete withdrawal from the labour force. This transitional arrangement is designed to free up jobs for younger workers. What’s more, if you have spent your entire career working six days a week and most of your social life has revolved around work, retirement is akin to social isolation.